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Ipswich Choate Bridge Imperial Stout
Ipswich Ale Brewery
- From:
- Ipswich Ale Brewery
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.87 | pDev: 9.56%
- Reviews:
- 15
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Sep 25, 2015
- Added:
- Jan 17, 2009
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by sulldaddy:
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
4.05/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
4.05/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
I split the 1.5 L bottle with my two brothers for Thanksgiving. Poured at cellar temp into a pint glass, the beer exudes pitch black color with fleeting tan head that foams up 1 cm and fades rapidly. the aroma is a mix of dry cocoa and some toffee, no hops to be found here. No alcohol hints on the nose. First sip slightly thicker body with mild rolling carbonation. Texture is silky smooth glides easily across the palate. The flavor is roasted malt and some cocoa powder with just a bit of molassess. No hits of booze here either. The beer is very drinkable and we polished off the bottle surprisingly quickly. Good tasty brew that is well made and masks the ABV nicely for a bigger robust beer.
Jan 01, 2011More User Ratings:
Reviewed by tkelley from Massachusetts
3.74/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
1.5L bottle split with friends. Found it at Marty's in Newton a year or so ago. These are my notes from the other day.
A -- Dark body with a good tan head.
N -- Boozy, sweet, licorice. (It had chocolate roasted malts too)
T -- Toasted/roasted dark chocolate malts. I got a hint of marshmallows, confirmed by my compatriots.
M -- Lighter than expected, but more carbonation than I thought given that the bottle was like five years old.
O -- Very good.
Cheers! To Friends!
Dec 10, 2013A -- Dark body with a good tan head.
N -- Boozy, sweet, licorice. (It had chocolate roasted malts too)
T -- Toasted/roasted dark chocolate malts. I got a hint of marshmallows, confirmed by my compatriots.
M -- Lighter than expected, but more carbonation than I thought given that the bottle was like five years old.
O -- Very good.
Cheers! To Friends!
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I've been saving this 1.5L bottle for a few years waiting for the right time to crack it. 30th birthday party seemed like the perfect time to do it, and shared with many friends.
Light fizzy head, pitch black color, some legs.
Nose tons of chocolate, dark choc, bakers, choc pudding, light black malt, bitter light earthy hops, caramel, fluffy nougat, vanilla, hint of booze, quite nice, cocoa powder.
Taste creamy malts, plenty of cocoa, cocoa powder, bakers choc, little black malt, dark choc, some earthy spicy hops, light creamy sticky malts, caramel light chalky powdered cocoa. Finish has light metallic chalk, light bitter earth hops, sticky caramel and choc.
Mouth has fuller bod creamy, lighter carb. Light warming booze.
Overall nice, age somehow treated this well, the booze is barely there, dark malts and chocolate are great, just the right amount of hops and minerals. Tasty beer I wish they brewed regularly (and in normal sized bottles).
Feb 18, 2013Light fizzy head, pitch black color, some legs.
Nose tons of chocolate, dark choc, bakers, choc pudding, light black malt, bitter light earthy hops, caramel, fluffy nougat, vanilla, hint of booze, quite nice, cocoa powder.
Taste creamy malts, plenty of cocoa, cocoa powder, bakers choc, little black malt, dark choc, some earthy spicy hops, light creamy sticky malts, caramel light chalky powdered cocoa. Finish has light metallic chalk, light bitter earth hops, sticky caramel and choc.
Mouth has fuller bod creamy, lighter carb. Light warming booze.
Overall nice, age somehow treated this well, the booze is barely there, dark malts and chocolate are great, just the right amount of hops and minerals. Tasty beer I wish they brewed regularly (and in normal sized bottles).
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts
4.05/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked up on a whim from Austin Liquors in a massive 1.5 liter bottle. Shared with friends during game 7 of the Stanley Cup.
A - Poured into a pint glass a chocolaty black with a one finger mocha head that slowly fades to leaves a nice cloud.
S - Big melted chocolate cake and roasted malts. Light coffee notes too.
T - Very much like the nose there is amazing melted chocolate cake flavours that just wont quit. Sweet roasted malts and chocolate with an intense cocoa aftertaste.
M - Nice smooth creamy mouthfeel. Not thin at all.
O - I am wonderfully surprised by this stout! It has such body on it thanks to the 4 or so years of. Well worth the $30 I spent back then.
Jun 16, 2011A - Poured into a pint glass a chocolaty black with a one finger mocha head that slowly fades to leaves a nice cloud.
S - Big melted chocolate cake and roasted malts. Light coffee notes too.
T - Very much like the nose there is amazing melted chocolate cake flavours that just wont quit. Sweet roasted malts and chocolate with an intense cocoa aftertaste.
M - Nice smooth creamy mouthfeel. Not thin at all.
O - I am wonderfully surprised by this stout! It has such body on it thanks to the 4 or so years of. Well worth the $30 I spent back then.
Reviewed by Zodijackyl from Connecticut
4.53/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.53/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
1.5L mega-bottle split between four people - Audioserf, IanH84, and another friend.
Pours black with a chocolate head - the color of foam when poured in chocolate milk. This may be the perfect pour. Aroma of malty chocolate - both roasted grains and cocoa, as well as some hops that pair well with the malt.
Taste is chocolate-flavored dark-roasted malt, a perfect blend of barley and roasted/charred flavor, as well as some cocoa. There are some hops which balance the range from bitter to sweet between burnt wood, sweet grains, and hops.
Mouthfeel is a little bit smoky and woody but dominated by darker malt flavors. It has a bit of charred bite, but mostly hops. Very drinkable. One of the most drinkable RIS's that I have tried.
This beer has aged quite well. the four plus years since it was brewed have made it even smoother and richer than it seems to have been originally. One of the best that I have tasted.
Feb 12, 2011Pours black with a chocolate head - the color of foam when poured in chocolate milk. This may be the perfect pour. Aroma of malty chocolate - both roasted grains and cocoa, as well as some hops that pair well with the malt.
Taste is chocolate-flavored dark-roasted malt, a perfect blend of barley and roasted/charred flavor, as well as some cocoa. There are some hops which balance the range from bitter to sweet between burnt wood, sweet grains, and hops.
Mouthfeel is a little bit smoky and woody but dominated by darker malt flavors. It has a bit of charred bite, but mostly hops. Very drinkable. One of the most drinkable RIS's that I have tried.
This beer has aged quite well. the four plus years since it was brewed have made it even smoother and richer than it seems to have been originally. One of the best that I have tasted.
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts
3.58/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Review adapted from notes taken in June, 2009
Poured into a snifter while floating in a pool (later inside for a more "normal" context)
Appearance: Extremely dark brown, an impressive oil-slick like color with a nice head
Smell: Roasted, hints of chocolate malts
Taste: Not particularly exciting- very roasty, but not burnt or smoky - lots of chocolate, burnt coffee, a strange milky sweetness that almost leads me to believe this involves lactose
Mouthfeel: Very smooth, thick but not as heavy as most RIS I have encountered
Overall: Moderately drinkable, 1.5L is pushing it, however
A good to great beer, but slightly disappointing considering the general quality of Ipswich beers
Jan 20, 2011Poured into a snifter while floating in a pool (later inside for a more "normal" context)
Appearance: Extremely dark brown, an impressive oil-slick like color with a nice head
Smell: Roasted, hints of chocolate malts
Taste: Not particularly exciting- very roasty, but not burnt or smoky - lots of chocolate, burnt coffee, a strange milky sweetness that almost leads me to believe this involves lactose
Mouthfeel: Very smooth, thick but not as heavy as most RIS I have encountered
Overall: Moderately drinkable, 1.5L is pushing it, however
A good to great beer, but slightly disappointing considering the general quality of Ipswich beers
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire
3.53/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a light brown, one-finger head that goes slowly to a thin layer and leaving some lace. Good carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Black color, no highlights. Nose is roasted chocolate. Flavor is roasted to burnt chocolate. Late bitter/burnt finish. Disappointing RIS. Higher ABV is hidden. $26.95 (plus $1.50 bottle deposit) for a 1.5L (serves four) bottle from Colonial Spirits, Acton, MA.
Aug 22, 2010Reviewed by LilBeerDoctor from New York
3.06/5 rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.06/5 rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle at PPRBSG09. Pours black with a bubbly tan head. Aroma of sweet roasted malt and vegetal notes. Flavor is similarly sweet and roasted, very bland, and the vegetal notes are still present. Yeah, you're gonna need a lot of people to finish this 1.5L off! This was pretty bad...
Jul 11, 2009Reviewed by SPLITGRIN from Kentucky
3.66/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.66/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Served from a 1.5 liter bottle. A vigorous pour gets more than three fingers of fat nougat brown head that actually has layers that make it look like a root beer float. Turns rocky and has lots of doted lace as it slowly fades. Body is tar black. Nose has up front alcohol and then yields to coco based malts with some dark fruit. Very roasty malts are up front with first sip. The malts are full of deep chocolate bitterness that is almost burnt. Moats really dominate the palate with a noticeable alcohol. This beer could probably use a year or so in the cellar. Mouthfeel is thick, bitter and roasty. This stout really drinks nicely and more like an Irish dry stout, but very pleasant and enjoyable.
Jun 10, 2009Reviewed by Viggo from Canada (ON)
4.18/5 rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.18/5 rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Finally had a reason to crack this magnum last weekend, had some help. Thanks to Pamola for the IP trade at EBF.
Pours a dark and opaque black, some brown highlighting in the edges, very thick tan head forms, drops to a thick ring, leave some nice chunky lacing all over the glass. Smell is nice, some charred wood, chocolate, roast, alcohol, nice caramel sweetness, brown sugar, found this quite fruity, earthy, dry and biscuity, quite nice. Taste is similar, very fruity at first, charred wood, strawberries, caramel, chocolate and lots of roast, brown sugar, molasses, alcohol is well hidden, nice biscuity finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation, very drinkable. A really pleasant RIS, wasn't as impressed with this as their oatmeal stout, but still damn good and the magnum looks badass. Thanks Kyle!
May 15, 2009Pours a dark and opaque black, some brown highlighting in the edges, very thick tan head forms, drops to a thick ring, leave some nice chunky lacing all over the glass. Smell is nice, some charred wood, chocolate, roast, alcohol, nice caramel sweetness, brown sugar, found this quite fruity, earthy, dry and biscuity, quite nice. Taste is similar, very fruity at first, charred wood, strawberries, caramel, chocolate and lots of roast, brown sugar, molasses, alcohol is well hidden, nice biscuity finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation, very drinkable. A really pleasant RIS, wasn't as impressed with this as their oatmeal stout, but still damn good and the magnum looks badass. Thanks Kyle!
Reviewed by cavman from Massachusetts
4.07/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Got a magnum of this awhile back, finally cracked it open. It was poured into a 19 oz pint glass.
Apperarance = Exactly what was expected; dark with a tan head that has decent staying power.
Smell = More chocolate than roasty, but very nice.
Taste = Roated malts predominantly chocolate malt, with a roasty finish. Doesn't taste as big as most impy's.
Mouthfeel = A little lighter in body than I expected.
Drinkability = Very drinkable, as the higher alchohol tastes are very subdued.
Overall a very good beer.
May 07, 2009Apperarance = Exactly what was expected; dark with a tan head that has decent staying power.
Smell = More chocolate than roasty, but very nice.
Taste = Roated malts predominantly chocolate malt, with a roasty finish. Doesn't taste as big as most impy's.
Mouthfeel = A little lighter in body than I expected.
Drinkability = Very drinkable, as the higher alchohol tastes are very subdued.
Overall a very good beer.
Reviewed by jongullotti from Massachusetts
4.33/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Purchased the day it hit the shelf 1/31/09. 1.5Liter bottle. $29.99.
Dark dark black with a thin light-colored tan head.
Nice but relatively faint aroma for an Imperial Stout. Nutty, roated coffee, slightly hoppy aromas.
Bitter hop up front, as most Ipswich brews do, followed by a thin, slightly fruity maltiness. Mocha flavors follow and are mixed with light hops. Well carbonated. Nice balance and complexity. Should age nicely in this beautiful big bottle. Delicious.
I'd love to buy more to cellar and taste at different years from now but at $30 / bottle I think this one will have to do.
Jan 31, 2009Dark dark black with a thin light-colored tan head.
Nice but relatively faint aroma for an Imperial Stout. Nutty, roated coffee, slightly hoppy aromas.
Bitter hop up front, as most Ipswich brews do, followed by a thin, slightly fruity maltiness. Mocha flavors follow and are mixed with light hops. Well carbonated. Nice balance and complexity. Should age nicely in this beautiful big bottle. Delicious.
I'd love to buy more to cellar and taste at different years from now but at $30 / bottle I think this one will have to do.
Reviewed by WanderingFool from Massachusetts
3.98/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
3.98/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I wrote my tasting notes from an on-tap sample at the brewery. Ipswich Imperial Stout pours a midnight black color with a small, frothy tan head on top. The foam dissolves quickly to a thin ring around the surface of the beer leaving only a couple of spots of lace on the sides of the glass.
The aroma is faint, but has notes of chocolate, nuts and roasted malt. There's a hint of floral hops in there too. Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is smooth with a moderate carbonated snap on the middle of the tongue. The flavor is mainly roasted malt, nuts and chocolate. At the end some floral hop bitterness moves in to help balance out the sweet malt. Once gone the nuts and chocolate flavor lingers on the palate.
This is a well balanced tasty impy stout that's very easy to drink. It's great now, but I'd like to see how well it tastes after a few months in a cellar.
By the way, the beer is 8% abv and that came straight from the brewer!
Jan 24, 2009The aroma is faint, but has notes of chocolate, nuts and roasted malt. There's a hint of floral hops in there too. Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is smooth with a moderate carbonated snap on the middle of the tongue. The flavor is mainly roasted malt, nuts and chocolate. At the end some floral hop bitterness moves in to help balance out the sweet malt. Once gone the nuts and chocolate flavor lingers on the palate.
This is a well balanced tasty impy stout that's very easy to drink. It's great now, but I'd like to see how well it tastes after a few months in a cellar.
By the way, the beer is 8% abv and that came straight from the brewer!
Ipswich Choate Bridge Imperial Stout from Ipswich Ale Brewery
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
22 ratings
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